The Vitamin Shoppe Recognized for Omnichannel Excellence

The Vitamin Shoppe made a significant leap in this year’s rankings of the Top 100 Omnichannel Retailers, an annual report from Total Retail, coming from 15th place last year all the way to a share of second place in 2018. How did the company do it? By improving pricing consistency across channels and adding more channels for customer service. The full rankings can be found in Total Retail's 2018 Top 100 Omnichannel Retailers report.

To compile this year's rankings, Total Retail scored 100 publicly traded retailers on the following seven omnichannel criteria, with the research completed in the first quarter of 2018: does it offer buy online, pick up in-store; does it offer the ability to search for in-store products on its website, including access to stock availability; does it offer a shared cart across channels (e.g., mobile to desktop); can loyalty points be earned and redeemed across channels; can products be returned across channels (e.g., return online purchases in-store); does it offer five or more channels for customers to engage customer service staff; and is product pricing consistent across channels.

On the theme of customer service, The Vitamin Shoppe was recognized with a 2017 StellaService Elite Overall Award, a top honor reserved for the best-of-the-best performers across multiple service channels. StellaService's Elite Awards annually recognize retailers for best-in-class customer service across phone, email, chat, shipping and returns.

"Enhancing our customer’s experience is at the forefront of everything we do,” said Colin Watts, CEO, The Vitamin Shoppe, in a company press release. “We are committed to helping them achieve their personal wellness goals and to live a better and healthier life. Having best-in-class customer service is one of many ways we deliver on that promise."

In addition to exceling at customer service in multiple channels, The Vitamin Shoppe is making it more convenient to purchase from the company. In August 2017, the nutritional products retailer launched SPARK AUTO DELIVERY™, a convenient and differentiated product subscription service that allows customers to save on purchases while receiving them on a flexible, automated shipping schedule.

Subscribers to the service receive 10 percent off of more than 1,000 participating products, guaranteed best prices, double Healthy Awards® points, and free shipping in the continental U.S. They also get convenient benefits such as flexible delivery, allowing customers to choose their own product shipping schedule, and hassle-free returns in-store and online.

"While the concept of auto delivery isn’t new to the industry, we’ve created a consumer-first subscription service that combines convenience and savings with engaging experiences," John Hnanicek, Chief Customer Innovation and Technology Officer, The Vitamin Shoppe, said in a press release.

To see the entire ranking of 100 retailers, as well as gain insights into the companies at the top of the list and the omnichannel trends shaping the industry, download the full report for free today.